Arakasi

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Arakasi was born to a prostitute who died from her trade (most likely from an unnamed disease); his sister, also a prostitute, was killed at the age of eighteen by one of her clients. Due to his mother's and sister's profession and the manner of their deaths, Arakasi has a fear of becoming attached to the opposite sex.

He learned of a Minwanabi plot against the Tuscai and was recruited into their ranks as a reward for saving their Lord's life.

A man of medium build, dark eyes and regular features, during his career as a spy he impersonated farmers, soldiers, merchants, sailors, tradesmen, priests, slave master, whoremongers, rivermen and beggars. Once he guested with Sezu of the Acoma in the guise of a priest of Hantukama.

He oversaw the network of informants created by the Lord of the Tuscai who spent the best part of his fortune building it. This network was composed by agents in every city in the Tsuranuanni Empire and spies within many great houses even the Imperial Chancellery on the staff of Almecho.

When the Minwanabi killed his master in battle, he fled to a Cho-ja hive and hid there for a week from the Minwanabi assassins. There he learned much about the Cho-ja. Afterward he became a Grey warrior. He kept in touch with Saric and others of the Tuscai and often traded in the cities on their behalf, using his wits and talents.

Once, he spent time with a friend in the House of Inrodaka where he learned that a cho-ja hive spawned a new queen, before coming to the hills. Later he met Lujan and his band sent by Mara of the Acoma. He just reached Saric's camp when Lujan's call came and followed them to join Mara's service.

There he was interviewed and told her his requirements and sense of honor and his network. He also said that he can't abandon his secondary vow, vengeance to the Minwanabi who tortured and killed his master. He also informed them about the new Cho-ja queen, an information that hadn't been circulated since Lord of Inrodaka was reclusive.

The following dawn, he accompanied her and her soldiers to the journey for those lands, and negotiate with the queen. That journey took 9 days of outmost secrecy, entering three guarded estates, but managing to avoid all patrols and guards. He accompanied Mara and Keyoke into the hive where she negotiated with the queen. During the negotiations, Inrodaka with Ekamchi arrived and sent cho-ja messengers to negotiate also with the queen. Eventually she accepted Mara's offer.

As the ascented to the surface, they found the two Lords accusing the Acoma for stealing their secret and for spying him. Seeing this, Arakasi was lost into the soldiers of the Acoma so that Inrodaka did not notice him. Eventually the conflict was resolved by Lax'l.

As Mara and her company returned, she gave leave to Arakasi for a year to go and re-activate his network which he did, and also was informed for all political games concerning the Riftwar.
During his absence, the Acoma security had augmented with his information: a pre-dawn sweep of the area was performed to the west of the estate, since bandits infiltrated the mountains, avoiding patrols in darkness, then go to ground during the daylight hours. Lujan who begun his patrol at midnight and in the hills above Acoma estates by dawn and ensured that signs of outlaw activity were swiftly detected. Arakasi knew every likely hiding place between the Acoma boundaries and
Holan-Qu.

A year later, when Mara already married Buntokapi and born a son, Ayaki, Arakasi returned, in the guise of a mendicant priest of the order of Sularmina, Shield of the Weak, waiting for her in her private quarters. Mara sent him as a servant to his new Lord at Sulan-Qu but he was beaten for disturbing him

Arakasi also gave intelligence to Mara regarding Bruli of the Kehotara who courted her. All in all, Bruli was coerced into spending a fortune simply to attract Mara, and Arakasi received a report that he had come near to bankrupting the already shaky financial standing of his family.

Bruli received from a vegetable merchant (actually Arakasi) a message, intercepted scarcely from his father, that he had at last received word of his son's excesses and ordered him to return.

Then Arakasi accompanied Mara to the Minwanabi estate to honor the birthday celebration of Almecho. He stayed with the soldiers retinue in the barracks, during which stay, he learned that Teani, Jingu's concubine was actually serving the Anasati. After Papewaio's murder by Shimizu, he was chosen to wear the honour guard's mantle to counter the Minwanabi threat; informed by his network, he related to Mara about Teani and her affair with Shimizu. With this information, Mara is able to direct a plot, after which, an attack against her life is witnessed by the guests.

After the return to their estates, Arakasi left for Hokani, and gathered information about the Xacatecas being discussing a possible alliance with Mara, and also the information that Tasaio was to return from Midkemia in order to assist Minwanabi politics.

Sometime later he returned bringing news about how the Minwanabi had attacked a thyza shipment according to already given intelligence. The raiders were so inadequate that seemed like ordered to suicide. Mara suspected that the raid was in order to discover the Cho-ja silk that she planned to out in the market. Kevin, her body servant, suggested a "red herring" as he called it: wrap something "fake" in the thyza so as to misdirect the Minwanabi spies on what the real significant secret is, while transport the real shipment, the silk, in some other medium.

Arakasi is sent on a mission to destroy the Hamoi Tong. While learning more about them, he met Kamlio, a young prostitute whose life is owned by a minor lord. She strikes him to his very core, reminding him of his long-dead mother. Considering this newfound feeling, he loses the side of him that allows him to risk his life without regret. Despite these revelations, he infiltrates the Hamoi Tong's compound and steals the scroll containing the information of the Tong's contracts, destroying their credibility. During the mission, Kamlio's twin sister is struck with a poisoned dart and dies in Arakasi's arms and Arakasi's conversion to a softer nature becomes unavoidable.

After this great achievement, he uses Mara's funds to free Kamlio from her contract, with Mara's blessing, hoping that she will open up to him. Unfortunately, Kamlio is cynical from years of being used as a slave. Most of Arakasi's later appearances focus around his and Kamlio's developing relationship.